NFL Christmas Day Schedule: Who Is Playing on Christmas?

The 2025 Christmas Day slate of games has been announced.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) makes the game-winning touchdown catch over Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The NFL announced their slate for Christmas Day in 2025 back in May, and the holiday is set to feature three rivalry games this year.

After the success of the two games the NFL featured on Christmas last year, the NFL will now hold three games on the holiday each year. The NFL started holding games on Christmas annually in 2020, and the tradition is here to stay.

Here are the three matchups that will take place this year on Christmas Day:

Which Teams Are Playing on Christmas Day?

Time (ET)	Away Team	Home Team	TV/Streaming
1 p.m.	Dallas Cowboys	Washington Commanders	Netflix
4:30 p.m.	Minnesota Vikings	Detroit Lions	Netflix
8:15 p.m.	Denver Broncos	Kansas City Chiefs	Prime Video

The Cowboys, Vikings and Chiefs were all part of the NFL's first set of games on Christmas Day back in 1971, when the league held the divisional round of the playoffs on the holiday. The Chiefs were defeated by the Miami Dolphins in the NFL's longest game, and the Cowboys took down the Vikings before winning their first Super Bowl that season.

The Chiefs, Cowboys and Lions are also all playing on Thanksgiving this year as well as Christmas. Kansas City hopes to make playing on Christmas an annual tradition, while the Cowboys and Lions have a longstanding history of playing on Thanksgiving.

NFL Christmas Matchups

This year's slate of Christmas games features three divisional matchups that could have major implications on the division and playoff races. Starting in the early window, the Cowboys will take on a Commanders team that is fresh off an appearance in the NFC championship game behind quarterback Jayden Daniels. Though the Cowboys didn't make the postseason last year with Dak Prescott injured, they have been in the thick of the playoff race in recent seasons. The departure of Micah Parsons hasn't helped the team's defensive efforts, but the offense remains strong under new head coach Brian Schottenheimer.

The Vikings and Lions' fight for the NFC North came down to the final game of the regular season last year, with the Lions ultimately prevailing. The Vikings have turned to quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who has provided mixed results early in 2025, while the Lions have started to find their groove without offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who departed for Chicago. Both teams will look to remain atop what is arguably the toughest division in the NFL, but will face fierce competition from the Packers, who look like one of the best teams in the league early on.

Though the Chiefs reign the AFC West and have made each of the last three Super Bowls, they have competition emerging in the division. The Denver Broncos proved they could compete when they returned to the postseason last year with rookie quarterback Bo Nix. They were also just a blocked field goal away from upsetting Kansas City in the regular season. Between the Chiefs' slow start and the burgeoning Broncos and Chargers, the AFC West appears up for grabs for the first time in a decade.

What Is Each Team's Record on Christmas?

The Cowboys and Chiefs are tied for the most games on Christmas Day, with five apiece. Dallas is 2–3 while Kansas City is 3–2 on the holiday.

The Vikings and Broncos have each played on Christmas a total of four times. Minnesota is 1–3 in those games and Denver is 2–2. Neither of the two played well during their last Christmas appearance, with the Vikings losing to the Saints 52–33 in 2020 and the Broncos getting crushed by the Rams 51–14 in 2022.

The Detroit Lions have appeared in Christmas games twice, but are 0–2 in those matchups. The Commanders are the lone team of the six that have yet to play on Christmas Day.

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